"Vivo also emphasized its collaboration with Qualcomm on in-display fingerprint sensor technology..." Three major smartphone companies have signed non-binding memoranda of understanding (MoU) agreements to purchase 12 billion dollars' worth of Qualcomm technology over the next three years. The agreements were signed as part of a larger bilateral trade initiative … [Read more...] about US-China Trade Agreement’s MoU’s Could Funnel In-Display Biometric Tech to Mobile Brands

Google's pitch for its new Pixel 2 smartphones — not to mention other new smart home offerings from the company — has tended to focus on their sophisticated software. But there is one highly innovative feature of the Pixel 2 that Google has kept up its sleeve. In a new blog post, Google's Joy Xi has revealed that the Pixel 2 is the first phone in the world to feature an … [Read more...] about Google’s Pixel 2 is World’s First eSIM Phone

The first-ever Mobile World Congress Americas event is a wrap, and it appears to have been a strong start. The GSMA has announced that the three-day event saw over 21,000 visitors. It's a far cry from the record-breaking 100,000+ that attended this year's MWC in Barcelona, but given that last year's MWC Shanghai saw its visitors jump 33 percent over the year before to reach … [Read more...] about Mobile World Congress Americas Got Off to a Strong Start

The GSMA has taken the opportunity of this week's inaugural Mobile World Congress Americas to publish its second annual Global Mobile Trends report. One key finding is that five billion – two-thirds of the world's population – are now on mobile networks. But growth is slowing, with the GSMA noting that mobile subscriptions took more than four years to get from four billion … [Read more...] about GSMA Global Mobile Trends Report Finds Networks Advancing, Subscription Growth Slowing

The GSMA has announced that nominations for the 2018 Global Mobile (or 'Glomo') Awards are now open. The Glomos are the high-profile industry awards doled out during the annual Mobile World Congress event in late winter. This year's winners ranged widely across the mobile world, from Samsung SDS's win for Best Mobile Security or Anti-Fraud Solution, to Huawei's win for … [Read more...] about GSMA Opens 2018 Glomo Nominations

LG's next flagship device will feature always-on facial and voice recognition, enabling hands-free biometric unlock for users. The former feature, at least, appears to anticipate Apple's next iPhone, with rumors swirling that that device will feature a facial recognition feature (called 'Pearl ID') that could scan users' faces even when it's lying flat on a table. Unlike the … [Read more...] about LG’s Next Phone to Feature Always-On Facial, Voice Recognition

Another new smartphone is helping to popularize fingerprint scanning across the lower end of the price spectrum: T-Mobile's Revvl is now available from the MNO for only $125. Other features of the phone include a 5.5" HD display, a 5MP front camera and 13MP rear camera, 2GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal storage. The device runs on a 1.5GHz quad-core Mediatek MT6738 … [Read more...] about T-Mobile’s Low-Cost Revvl Phone Extends Proliferation of Mobile Biometrics

It looks like Sharp's next big smartphone is going to feature an in-display fingerprint sensor. That's what leaked images suggest, at least, as they depict a smartphone with a full-size screen coming in at about 5.5", with no discernible fingerprint sensor on the rear of the device, or anywhere else. The device, dubbed the Aquos S2, is expected to feature 4K resolution in … [Read more...] about New Sharp Aquos S2 Expected to Have In-Display Fingerprint Sensor

"The agreement is another signal of OT-Morpho's aims in pioneering remote SIM technology as the IoT and 5G continue to emerge..." Spain-based telecom Telefónica will use OT-Morpho technology to manage digital subscriptions in the Internet of Things, thanks to a new partnership between the companies. The agreement will see Telefónica using OT-Morpho's GSMA M2M rev. 3.1 … [Read more...] about Telefónica to Use OT-Morpho Tech to Manage Digital Subscriptions in IoT

A new two-in-one tablet from ASUS will feature an embedded SIM from OT-Morpho. Called the ASUS Transformer Mini, the tablet is scheduled for launch this summer. And according to OT-Morpho, the device's DakOTa 4.0 eSIM will make it the first consumer-facing computer to feature an eSIM that complies with the GSMA's Phase 2 specifications. What that will mean for users is a … [Read more...] about OT-Morpho eSIM Tech To Keep ASUS Tablet Connected Around The World

Artificial intelligence has been a central concern for tech companies for many years, finding applications ranging from semi-automated temperature controls for high-end cars to semi-automatic-toting gangsters in video games. But it's currently undergoing an arguably unique phase of intensive R&D, with some of the biggest brands in the world intently focused on ensuring that … [Read more...] about BRIEF: The Artificial Intelligence Renaissance is Underway

"Smart cars will be a hot topic, as will AI assistants and chatbots, 5G connectivity, VR and AR, and more." Some big names are going to participate in the first-ever GSMA MWC Americas, organizers have revealed. Among the keynote speakers lined up for the event are PayPal CEO Dan Schulman, Nokia CEO Rajeev Suri, and, of course, GSMA Director General Mats Granryd. But the … [Read more...] about Big Names Lined Up for MWC Americas Include Ericsson, IBM, Even Coca-Cola